Car-door case and cleat



J.'W. JORDAN. GAR DOOR CASE AND GLBAT.

(N0 Model.)

INI /ENTH @I WTNESSES: I

' nro/mim E GRAHAM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES VIIITSITT JORDAN7 OF BUN KIE, LOUISIANA.

CAR-DOOR` CASE AND CLEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,273, dated March 31, 1896.

Application filed September 25, 1895. Serial No. 563,628. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES WHrrsiT'r J OE- DAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bunkie, parish of Avoyelles, and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Door Cases and Cleats, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar` letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to improvements in car-door cases and cleats, and has for its object to provide an article of this character so constructed as to afford efficient means for cleating cars when the doors thereof are closed and sealed, and a casing to protect the doors when they are open, whereby said doors cannot be removed and lost.

By the use of my improved device the necessity of cleating the cars by nailing cleats to the sides thereof is entirely done away with, while at the same time the doors are so securely fastened as to make a car absolutely spark, rain, and snow proof.

The invention will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically set forth in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a car having my improved cleat and case attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation taken on a line no of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a sectional plan taken on a line y y of Fig. l.

In the practice of my invention a car-door 4A is provided with the ordinary hangers a and rollers a. These said rollers engage with a longitudinal rail B, and the door depends therefrom and is longitudinally slidable thereon. Extending downwardly from the end of the rail B is a vertical stop B', which engages with the outer edge of the door A when said door is closed.

The inner vertical edge of the doorA is provided with a beveled surface b, which is adapted to engage with a beveled surface c of a vertical cleat C. This said cleat is hinged to the open end of a casing D, and it closes the inlet to said casing and engages with the beveled edge b of the door A when said door is closed. The casing D is normally closed to the side of the car under said door.

at top and bottom and at one end by wooden strips d, whereby a compartment is provided which will retain and protect the door when it is open, and which will prevent anv operator from removing said door from its rail, whereby the danger of losing the door is obviated.

, The cleat C, which closes the opening to the casing D, is hinged to said casing by any suitable hinges d', and when said cleat is thrown back into the position illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings the door can be forced into the casing and retained there until it is desirable to again close the car. Cut through the inner face of the cleat G is a groove c', which is adapted to fit over the rail B when the cleat is brought into engagement with the beveled edge of the door A.

In order to strengthen the cleat C, it may be provided at a point where the groove c is located with a metallic plate e, and the side wall of the casing D may also be provided with a metallic plate e', which tends to strengthen the construction. The whole is attached to the side of a car by means of bolts f.

To more eifectually secure the door in a closed position,angular brackets g are secured These brackets are provided with upwardly-extending lips g, which are adapted to engage with the face of the door and to prevent any one from prying the door open from the bottom.

The door A is provided with a hasp h which is adapted to engage with a staple h secured to the upright stop B', and the cleat C is provided with a similar hasp t' which engages with a staple t" which is secured to the face of the door.

In the operation of the device the door -is forced within the casing D and remains there until the car is loaded. The door is then forced tightly against the upright stop B and the cleat C is forced into engagement with the beveled edge b of the door A. The hasps h and t' are then forced over their respective staples h and t" and seals j are attached to said staples. It will thus be seen that the door is fastened upon all sides and it cannot be opened until the seals are broken.

I specially mention the arrangement of the spark and weatherprooflng cleat C with its hinged pintles or fulcrum entirely outside IOO the line of travel of the car-door as the latter is either opened or closed. This simple construction always prevents jamming or injury of the cleat by the moving1 door and also makes the Whole cleat and its attachments to the car-body easily accessible and always open to full inspection, Whether the car-door be open or closed, thereby giving,` assurance to the operator that the cleat is reliably closed to serve its intended purposes most satisfactorily.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with a car-body and its door, of a hinged spark and Weatherproof ing cleatvor guard adapted for adjustment behind the closed door and ulcrumed in a plane outside the line of travel of the door, substantially as described, whereby the cleat cannot be injured by the moving door and is fully accessible and always open to inspeetion, as set forth.

2. The combination, with a car-body and its sliding door, of a spark and Weatherproofing hinged cleat C, fulcrumed to the car-body in a plane outside the line oi travel of the door and adapted to fold against and behind the closed door, and locking and sealing` connections between the door and cleat, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two Witnesses, this 8th day of August, 1895.

JAMES "WHITSITT JORDAN.

Vitnesses:

JNO. THOMAS JOHNSON, DAVID BENJAMIN DAVIS. 

